Printer offline or not printing

A stuck print queue and a lost connection cause most "offline" printers. Both can be fixed without reinstalling anything.

What you seePrinter status: Offline / Error printing / documents stuck in the queue

1. Check the printer itself

• Is it on, with paper and no error light or message on its panel? A paper jam, an open cover or an empty cartridge shows as "offline" or "error" in Windows.
• Switch the printer off, wait 30 seconds, and on.
• USB: reseat the cable at both ends; plug directly into the computer, not a hub; try another port.
• Wi-Fi: the printer's Wi-Fi light should be steady, not blinking. Print its network report from its own menu to see whether it is connected and which address it has. The printer and the PC must be on the same network; a guest Wi-Fi or a second router keeps them apart.

2. Check Windows is not holding it back

Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › your printer › Open print queue. In the queue window's Printer menu:

• untick Use Printer Offline;
• untick Pause Printing;
• choose Cancel All Documents to empty the queue.

Also check you are printing to the right printer: copies named "(Copy 1)" or an old printer may be set as default. In Printers & scanners, turn off "Let Windows manage my default printer" and set the correct one as default.

3. Clear a stuck queue and restart the spooler

When a document will not delete and blocks everything behind it:

1. Windows key + R › services.msc › find Print Spooler › right-click › Stop.
2. Open File Explorer and go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS. Delete the files inside (not the folder).
3. Back in Services, right-click Print Spooler › Start.

Or, in Terminal (Admin):

net stop spooler
del /Q /F %systemroot%\System32\spool\PRINTERS\*.*
net start spooler

Then print a test page: Printers & scanners › your printer › Print test page.

4. Run the troubleshooter

Windows 11: Settings › System › Troubleshoot › Other troubleshooters › Printer.

5. Remove and add the printer again

1. Printers & scanners › your printer › Remove.
2. Restart the PC and the printer.
3. Printers & scanners › Add device. For a Wi-Fi printer that does not appear, choose "Add manually" and enter the printer's IP address from its network report.
4. Install the maker's driver or app if Windows asks, from the maker's official support site for your model.

6. A Wi-Fi printer that keeps going offline

The router gives the printer a new address after a restart and Windows keeps looking at the old one.

• In the router's settings, reserve an address for the printer (DHCP reservation), or set a fixed address in the printer's network menu.
• Turn off the printer's deep sleep or auto-off setting if it never wakes for jobs.
• If the Wi-Fi name or password changed, connect the printer to the Wi-Fi again from its panel or its app.

7. Prints, but wrongly

• Blank pages or streaks: run the head cleaning and nozzle check from the printer's maintenance menu; check ink or toner.
• Garbled characters: the wrong driver is installed. Remove the printer and install the right driver.
• One program will not print: try printing from Notepad. If Notepad prints, the fault is in the first program or its file; save as PDF and print the PDF.

For Windows 11 and Windows 10. Written in November 2026. Menus move between updates; use the search box in Settings if a name differs. Back up important files before any step that resets, repairs a disk or opens the computer. This is an independent guide, not connected with Microsoft.